Posted by:
shapeshifter
(
)
Date: July 14, 2017 10:32AM
So I've been thinking.. It's likely that I am an atheist as I don't truly believe in a god per se. But I've noticed that I have this underlying fear of saying I am one. I think it was ingrained in me from a young age, not just by the cult by society as a whole.
Society being mostly religious worldwide (esp. in our country where it's at close to 80 percent!), of course those of us who are non religious and esp. atheist fear coming out about it, maybe because history has shown us what religious fanatics are capable of.
Religious people seem to fear those who are not, esp. those who do not believe in a god? Why is this?
I think that they think that without a god (or fear of one, esp. fear of punishment in the next life), people would do all kinds of terrible things, as if our natures are pure evil and someone/something has to constantly keep us in line.
However evidence shows that it's primarily the religious folks who create all of the suffering in the world, hurting, killing, torturing others in the name of 'god' and for 'his' sake.
I haven't believed in a long time, yet I am an extremely compassionate person, I have deep empathy for others, am always trying to help relieve suffering in myself and others and in the world at large. Yet I do all of this without a belief in god. So I don't see why the god thing is necessary.
I think we are born mostly good with a deep seeded conscience in tact. But that a small percentage of us are born without conscience (see- 'sociopath') and that those few rule the masses often in the guise of religious leaders. They are the ones using religion and the idea of god to control the vast majority who although born with conscience can be manipulated to act against it because of their trusting, sheep like mentalities. ('The Sociopath Next Door' makes a good case for this.)
If we were truly uninhibited by religion and god, we may actually live more harmoniously with each other and our natural environment (instead of always trying to subordinate to our needs, since 'god' gave us 'dominion' over everything). We might live by reason (i.e. think about what our impact on the environment means for our health, our future resources and sustainability/survivability).. we might live more for the moment, which is actually a very good thing, as we'd be more in touch with our feelings, and those of others and may seek to make our lives more peaceful and happy now, rather than waiting for a long off 'promised' hereafter.
It seems to me all religions and their ideas of god are used to control us and keep us complacent with suffering and injustice, because 'god' will take care of it all 'one day'.. we just have to wait, be patient, serve, suffer, not complain (if we complain or think about our suffering and question anything than god might punish us harshly and we may suffer eternally, not just now!).. So we live in fear of punishment later, so we put up with punishment now. Or we believe that god is loving so we wait to receive love and joy later, after we die.. until they we have to suffer and not have love or joy.
But without the idea of waiting until after we die for these promises to be fulfilled, we might find ways to enjoy our lives now, maybe we could make a paradise on earth instead of the hell we create and say we must endure because god wills it, when it's really all man's doing and god because a cop out, a way to shirk responsibility for our own actions now.
I've been shamed repeatedly by religious folks, not just in TSCC, but from all sides, because I don't have 'faith' or a belief in 'god' or a prescribed religion I follow. Yet in all cases they are the ones who mistreat others and do all kinds of f'ed up things and then say that god forgives them, and that I can't rely on them (they may lie, deceive me, mistreat me, cheat on me etc) but have to put my faith in 'god' (the 'perfect being' in the sky) instead. Just excuses to not take responsibility for their actions.
And they are the ones, like my Christian neighbors (not Mormon, but might as well be, big family, strict religious beliefs, etc), who end up shooting innocent puppies because they didn't have the time or caring to try and find a home for the puppy, even though it turns out others had offered to take him if they didn't find one. But they blast the puppy away like it's no big thing. And in the face of my shock and pain over the news, the boys (still not sure which pulled the trigger as they now won't say and have changed their stories a few times) tell me that I can always just go pick up another puppy if I want from the local feed store (where they got the one they killed!) as if it's just a thing and not a being. The same boys boasted of killing 250 toads in their pond last year. They killed them because they didn't like the noise and they said they were 'demonic' because the noises were spooky to them and because they were having sex everywhere 'in public'. Of course they are mating when they only have one chance a year to do so!
The views that religions create of life, and natural activities are so distorted that they create these monsters who can't relate at all to other animals nor even see t themselves as animals. They are supposed to respect all life as 'god's creations, god's creatures' but since they are also told that it was given to them to use and rule as they may, they end up excusing crazy malicious behaviors in the name of god.
These are just small examples. Think of all of the religious/righteous wars waged in the name of 'god' and the popular 'hymn' 'Onward Christian Soldiers' and think how many in the armed forces are actually religious and believe god in on their side in the killing and destruction of masses of people, towns, cities, animals, environment..
I know there are those who think it's so 'sad' when an ex-Mo or ex other cult/abusive religion member ends up 'losing their faith' in god/jesus, etc… believing that 'god' is still 'good' but that a bad organization made us too afraid to trust in a god.. that may be true, I am gun shy so to speak, but I have tried other religions after I saw TSCC for what it really was and even though some seemed less harmful than others, I didn't end up ultimately seeing the point and I realized I am a good person without religion and I don't need that in my life personally. Not trying to say nobody should believe, they can if they want.. but I don't think it's necessary and I think we might all live in a better way if we didn't, didn't rely on an unseen force to fix all of our societal problems for example. Maybe we'd all take more responsibility for ourselves.
But what really bothers me is the attitude most religious and god-believing (I like how mostly people say 'god-fearing' but then say 'god is all love' and don't see the contradiction at all)… towards those who don't believe or feel the need to.. they feel SORRY for us as if we are so LOST and it really angers me sometimes. I am sick of that pity and judgment and shaming when I have done nothing wrong and I am continuously trying to help others and have such consideration and care for others and am not a criminal and live in the most harmonious way I can in this world, yet I have to face this kind of judgment from others on a continual basis. So I dare not come out and say I am Atheist.. because it's bad enough that I don't have a 'religion' ..
However that's mostly how I feel. I don't care to think of a god, a supreme ruler/controller over everything. I don't see the point of that. Only if I feel no love from anyone in this world and like to imagine a loving entity in the ethers that I could get love from. I see the appeal when thinking of a father figure since mine was so terrible, it's nice to think of an actual loving father. Maybe that's why people like to see god as male, since it's been so hard for them to get love from an earthly father (mainly because of warped religious thinking), than maybe they can get it from a heavenly one? It seems less necessary for people to think of a loving heavenly mother since generally that's been easier to come by here (love from a mother). but the flip side of god of course is his stern angry commanding control and that also has to be male because of the male ego needs of less evolved males in our world right now.
Anyway I know this has turned into more of a rant than I had intended. But it's something that really annoys me.
We should feel free to say we are Atheists and not have to worry about shunning, shaming.. and honestly worse.. there are places in the world where you could be killed for saying such a thing. And I fear that this country is moving in that direction where one really may have to fear for ones life is one does not wish to worship the 'almighty'.